a. Obtaining and maintaining liability insurance in the amount of $100,000 against bodily injury or death or damage to property and furnishing a certificate or proof of insurance.

b. Requirements as to size, construction and design of the dog’s enclosure.

c. Location of the dog’s residence.

d. Requirements as to type and method of restraints and/or muzzling of the dog.

e. Photo identification or permanent marking of the dog for purposes of identification.

f. Requirements as to the posting of a warning notice or notices conspicuous to the public warning persons of the presence of a vicious dog.

g. Payment of a fee or fees as established by resolution of the Board of Supervisors to recover the costs of enforcing the provisions as applied to the regulation of vicious dogs. If a dog is declared potentially dangerous or cicious, the owner is responsible for the cost, $666, of the investigation conducted by OC Animal Care, and they must also obtain a permit to own the declared dog, $644.00, which must be renewed annually.

We are not limited to these restrictions as circumstances and/or the residence where the dog is housed may have individual needs. It should also be noted that the law does authorize OCAC to seek destruction (euthanasia) of a dog if it is determined that a dog is a significant threat to public safety.

Q. If I move to another county, does the vicious label travel with my dog?

A. That is solely up to the county or city to which you would move. However, Orange County law requires that you notify OCAC in this instance (10 days prior to moving) and we will then provide the new county or city with the dog’s history of aggression for their own determination.

Q. What if I have financial hardships and cannot pay the annual fees?

A. The investigation, declaration, and subsequent inspections for compliance are costly. A great deal of effort is put into the investigations in order to ensure accuracy. The costs to the owner associated with this program were established as a “cost recovery” to lessen the financial liability incurred by the program. OCAC does its best to work with owners as much as possible through billing arrangements, but the cost for permits cannot be waived and need to be paid in a timely manner to prevent any further collection actions.

Q. Are vicious dogs euthanized?

A. This is not common, but it may be considered if an incident is severe enough and/or there is a significant concern for public safety. The same investigation, declaration, and appeals process applies and affords the owner every opportunity to provide OCAC with evidence as to why this decision should not be made. These decisions are not taken lightly, but public safety is always our top priority.

Q. It’s not unusual to hear a dog owner say “dogs are natural hunters,” so are they deemed vicious if they harm or kill another species such as a neighbor’s cat?

A. County ordinance is very clear that an unprovoked attack on another domestic animal would meet the criteria of a potentially dangerous dog. We would consider any attack that took place off of the owner’s property in which the victim animal had to take a defensive action as an unprovoked attack. A dog that is securely kept on its property and attacks another animal that has strayed onto its property would generally not be considered unprovoked.

Since every incident is unique, we must take into consideration the severity of the incident and whether or not the incident was unprovoked. Dogs do have a natural tendency to chase, but that can be controlled through basic obedience training and through proper housing and restraint.

Q. Is a dog ever redeemed as a non-vicious dog, say over a period of time?

A. There is a very extensive appeals process should a dog be declared potentially dangerous or vicious. Appeals are completed through OCAC and can then be appealed through the Supreme Court if the owner so chooses.

Potentially dangerous dogs that have been maintained for 3 years with no further incidents are reviewed for the purpose of removing them from their declaration. A dog that has been declared vicious in Orange County will maintain that status for the duration of its life. It’s important to note that the city of Anaheim municipal code only allows OCAC to declare dogs as vicious.

Q. Do cities that do not use OCAC use the same standards for vicious dogs?

A. Many do as much of the definitions and processes are outlined in state law (Food & Agricultural Code 31602 – 31683). Orange County Animal Care contracts with 17 cities in Orange County for animal services. They also impound animals from Santa Ana and handle calls to unincorporated areas of the county.

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